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Malta
Day 1: Arrive Malta
Arrive Valletta, capital of Malta (UNESCO Heritage Site). Transfer to hotel.
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Day 2: Full Day Tour: Valletta
Visit St. John’s Cathedral, a historical gem which houses famous tapestries by the artist Caravaggio.
Then the Grand Master’s Palace & Armory, National Museum of Archaeology followed by a visit to the Upper Barracca Gardens.
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Day 3: Full Day Tour Senglea, Cospicua and Vittoriosa
The Three Cities offer an intriguing insight into Malta and its history. Largely unvisited, these cities are a slice of authentic life as well as a glimpse into Malta's maritime fortunes.
They rightly claim to be the cradle of Maltese history, as Vittoriosa, Senglea and Cospicuahave provided a home and fortress to almost every people who settled on the Islands. Visit the Inquisitor’s Palace.
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Day 4: Blue Grotto Caves, Marsaxlokk, The Hypogeum
Visit the Mnajdra and Ħaġar Qim megalithic complexes. (UNESCO World Heritage Sites), found in an isolated location on the southern coast.
Afterwards, continue to one of Malta’s natural wonders: the Blue Grotto. We take a boat to visit Blue Grotto, the largest cave and see the site where the now destroyed Arch stood.
Visit the Hal Saflieni Hypogeum of Paola, a subterranean structure dating to the Saflieni phase (3000-2500 BC) in Maltese prehistory.
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Day 5: Gozo Island
The island has been associated with Ogygia, home of the nymph Calypso in Homer's Odyssey.
Visit the temples of Ggantija (Palace of the Giants), which consist of two megalithic temples surrounded by a massive common boundary wall, that date to 3600-3200 BC.
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Day 6: Central Malta: Mosta, Mdina, Rabat & the Domus Romana, Dingli
A full day tour of the central part of the island visiting Mdina the old capital city of the island, Rabat its suburb town and surrounding areas.
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Tunisia, Africa
Day 7: Fly to Tunis
Transfer to the airport for the flight Tunisair Express UG 1301 dep 13:30, arr 13:40. (schedule subject to change)
Arrival at Tunis airport, transfer to the hotel. Rest of day is independent.
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Day 8: Bardo Museum – Medina – Carthage
Full day tour: Bardo National Museum, Medina of Tunis (old walled city), Carthage Archaeological Museum; Sidi-Bou-Saïd, the best-preserved Moorish village in Tunisia.
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Day 9: Day Excursion: Bizerte & Utica
Bizerte and Utica (Roman-Carthaginian towns), about one hour north along the delta of the Medjerda River, very lush and green area, mountains and hills to Utica. Visit the museum, one of the unique sites of Tunisia due to its location and Punic collection. Then we continue to the site, a multi layered area culminating Carthaginian and Roman vestiges.
Continue 45 minutes to Bizerte, the 17th century city is surrounded by a small fishing harbor. We stroll the streets and marvel at the constriction of the ramparts.
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Day 10: Dougga - Kairouan
Visit the most prestigious Roman site in Tunisia, Dougga (UNESCO), a Romano-Berber city in northern Tunisia.
Continue 1.5 hr to Kairouan, (UNESCO World Heritage Site), was once the Arab capital for all of North Africa and one of Islam’s most sacred cities.
Fourth holiest city of Islam (after Mecca, Medina and Jerusalem), Kairouan is an important religious pilgrimage site and, for history lovers, one of the highlights of Tunisia.
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Day 11: Kairouan & Excursion to El Jem
Morning visit Kairouan's Medina (old town) is the most atmospheric and best preserved in Tunisia, the tightly packed alleyways giving a taste of the Arab empires.
In the afternoon, we return to Imperial Rome with an approx one hour’s drive to El Jem (Thysdrus) to view the splendid amphitheatre which could hold 30,000 people. Though smaller than the Coliseum in Rome, it is in a better state of preservation. We also visit the archaeological museum and the Villa Africa, one of a kind representing the roman art.
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Day 12: Sbeitla (Sufetula) – Tozeur
We start with a stop in the old byzantine city of Sufetula, visit the archaeological site with its old Roman Forum, the Episcopal complex and the theatre.
After driving about 10 km, we stop in Raqqada, the second royal city of the 9th century, after Kairouan. Here we visit the interesting Raqqada National Museum of Islamic Art set in a beautiful park.
Continue to Sufetula in the interior of the country. Even though the Romans founded towns in the oasis of southern Tunisia, it was almost at the border of the Empire. Yet its temples were accurately decorated with moldings and capitals, which indicates a wide circulation of treatises on architecture and engineering. Archaeologists have identified a twin set of halls, which led to the baths. Inscriptions making reference to restorations indicate that the baths, which were built in the early 3rd century, were in use during the Byzantine period, possibly until 647 when Sufetula was plundered by Arab raiders.
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Day 13-14: Two Full Day Tours in Tozeur
Tozeur is a charming city in the southwest of Tunisia, located around a large oasis famous for its Palm trees and production of dates. It was historically an important stopping point for caravans crossing the Sahara, a place to rest and refuel before heading deeper into the dessert. It was also used as an important Roman outpost and has since been ruled by a variety of tribes including the Berbers for much of its history, who have perhaps the most influence on the city’s historic architecture.
Visit of Ouled el-Hadef, Tozeur’s beautiful 14th century Medina.
Explore the Paleraie, the second-largest in the country with at least 200,000 palm trees.
Chak Wak Park and the Dar Charaït Museum.
Second day: excursion to the golden triangle of mountain oasis villages of Chebika, Mides and Tamerza which are perched in Granite Mountains above the Sahara and provide scenery for filmmakers in search of Biblical landscapes.
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Day 15: Douz - Matmata
Travel to Douz "gateway to the Sahara." Cross the dry salt lake of Chott el Djerid to reach the quiet, oasis village. We will visit the oasis and market place. Lunch in town.
This afternoon we drive to Matmata and see the famous troglodytes, underground villas used by the Berbers to protect themselves from heat in the summer, and where Indiana Jones and the English Patient were filmed.
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Day 16: Chenini - Douiret – Ksar Ouled Soltane - Tataouine -Djerba Island
We drive southeast towards the Dahar Mountains to visit the Berber hamlets of Chenini and Douiret where we can explore the Berber granaries and the valleys.
We’ll drive 45 km to Ksar Ouled Soltane and visit the 15th century granary (the slave quarters in George Lucas’ Star wars films).
Continue approx. 30 min drive to Tataouine, one of the several areas where the Allied forces have challenged Rommel’s troops in WW II North-African campaign.
Then onward approx 135km/2 hrs, going over The Causeway, to Djerba Island.
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Day 17: Djerba Island
Morning visit the El Ghriba Synagogue (also known as Djerba Synagogue), located in the formerly Jewish village of Harah Sghira (currently known as Er-Riadh).
Visit the Heritage Museum located at Houmt Souk-- two thousand square meters of objects and artifacts including exhibitions on island folklore, jewellery and costumes. And the Museum Lella Hadhria, a private museum sheltering the best collection of Islamic Art in North-Africa.
Afternoon, Guellala Village, located on The Causeway, known for its’ spectacular pottery; and The Museum of Popular Arts and Traditions of Djerba.
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Day 17: Sfax – Mahdia
A 15 minute ride ferry ride, then a 60 km/approx 1 hour drive to Sfax where we visit the Dar Jallouli Museum. This is a delightful 18th century patrician house in the heart of the medina.
Continue to Mahdia, once the Capital of the Fatimid dynasty.
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Day 18: Monastir - Sousse – Hammamet
In the morning, visit the Medina of Mahdia with its old narrow streets, Cairo Square, the old Fatimid mosque and the cemetery, then drive approximately 1.5 hours to Monastir, once a Phoenician settlement.
In Monastir, visit the Ribat, best preserved Arab fortress. Afterwards, we drive 30 minutes to Sousse to explore the Medina and its monuments. Late in the day, drive 1.5 hours to Hammamet
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Day 19: Hammamet - Nabeul – Tunis
Hammamet is a pleasant beach town located in the south east of the northern Peninsula of Cap Bon. In the morning, visit the old Medina of Hammamet and its fort, then drive 20 minutes to Nabeul, to visit the archaeological museum.
We continue 1 hour Tunis. The rest of the day at leisure. You may like to return to the souk for shopping and lunch or relax at the hotel.
Tonight, we enjoy a traditional dinner for our farewell.
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Day 20: Depart
Transfer to the airport.
